August

August has been a busy month so far, we had some beautiful weddings in the heart garden, best wishes to those that got married.

We were booked solid for August long weekend, I hope it is at least half as good for September long weekend.As people start to get their children ready for school which goes back in session in less than a month, things will start to slow down. We have had visitors form everywhere, we had a couple all the way from Australia just the other day. So we enjoy hearing where you're from and how far you have traveled to come see us. We also enjoy seeing the B.C. and the Alberta travelers.

But wild fires have slowed down on the traveling a little bit, the weather has been a little nasty, with the smoke and the ash. There are days that we can't see the lake through the smoke. At least the fires are not too close so we don't have to worry too much. Our thoughts are with the ones that the fires are effecting! But we do like see the die hard campers that will come rain or smoke.

So we are looking forward to seeing the campers that are planning on coming to see us in the next couple of months. - B

July

July was an exciting month at Robert's Roost. We were at full capacity for much of it, and had to turn away several campers who were caught unaware during Billy Barker Days.

Dog Agility camps and trials again took place for about 14 days. Our campers got to watch these amazing dogs and their handlers go over ladders, through tunnels, over jumps and weave in and out of poles. The weather was smoking hot and everyone got maybe a bit more of a workout than they wanted! By the end of the camp (put on by Kim Collins @ Pawsitive Steps) there were probably more than a few campers who were happy to head home to their own beds!

Quesnel's annual summer festival, Billy Barker Days, happened to occur during the camp, and we welcomed many more visitors to the park. We stayed home for the majority of the weekend as we were busy, but we did manage to take the kids down to the park to watch the fireworks after we closed the office on Sunday night.

The month of July was hot and dry, and many fires started around the Cariboo at the end of the month. All were caused by lightning and most of BC is on a campfire ban. The air quality has been touch and go lately with some days better than others. On the worst day I was looking out my window and I would almost trick myself into believing that it was winter! We received a large amount of rain last night, and again today, so hopefully it will help put out the fires.

For any of our fishermen coming to visit us this fall, the lake level is awfully low right now and the surface temperature has been similar to bath water. Here's hoping for a little bit more of this cool weather and rain (never thought I'd hear myself say that) and a better snow pack this winter. The fish are still biting, but not with any frequency.

At the moment I am content to listen to the rain, drink my tea and watch the children play.

Future Politician

As I am watching a storm blow in over the lake, I am reminded about how much I love living here. Not only do I get to see beautiful, awe-inspiring scenery, I also get to meet people from all over the world. Some of our returning guests have become great friends and we look forward to their yearly visits.

Tonight as the storm was just starting to make its presence felt, my husband came in the office to ask me if I had checked a camper into the back field. I had responded that I hadn't, but that I would check the computer as we had help here today and we may have a guest that I am yet not aware of. We usually like to make sure we know who every single person is in the park at all times as it can be a security issue.

After a quick check, his suspicions were confirmed. There was no one staying with us in a tenting site. The reason for his query is that he had just spoken with a gentleman at the water/sani-dump station who was filling numerous 5 gallon jugs with our treated water. His vehicle was not familiar and my husband had made the comment that he seemed to be in need of a large quantity of water. He was told that since they were staying with us in an unserviced site they needed it. That's fine with us, but it did make us wonder what he could possibly need with that much water over the course of a night. At about this point we started to think that maybe he was a great storyteller and we were a captive audience.

We do not like to jump to conclusions, however, so I went to go see if I recognized him. I didn't. By this time he was making his way to the showers where his wife had been, and I found myself in the uncomfortable position of having to let him know that we do not permit use of the facilities by people not staying here. Now he owns a large holiday rambler and they were just checking out the park to make sure that it's large enough to accommodate their large turning radius. He then proceeded to stay parked by the shower house to see if I would leave. I didn't and he eventually gave up. Did I mention that it was raining?

Later on our drive tonight, we noticed this guy (notice how he is no longer called a gentleman?) parked at the local WalMart parking lot. If you prefer to boondock in parking lots during your travels, that is up to you. What that means though is that you get all the perks that come with not paying for your site. Level parking spot... check. Shopping for all your supplies at the crack of dawn... check. What it does not entitle you to is a hot shower and treated water at the RV Park down the road. RV Parks across North America are disappearing at an alarming rate because they are finding it more and more difficult to compete with free. For $30/night (the most expensive site) you could have hooked up your water and sewer hose, hooked into our cable to catch up on all your favourite shows and surfed the net to your hearts content. You also could have woken up to the sound of the loons in the morning and watched the mist rise off the lake as you enjoyed your morning coffee. Instead, you chose to freeze your butt off in the rain as you stood there with a hose crouched in the back of your pickup truck. You also went without a shower... again. On the flip side though, you did get to go back to your half a million dollar coach parked in the local parking lot. Lucky you. You are also getting more and more adept at telling your tall tales. Maybe by the end of your trip you will have all the experience necessary to start your political career.

If you would have just been honest and come into the office, we would have shown you around and treated you like a guest. We love the challenge that comes with converting the hardcore parking lot fanatics, and I am proud to say that we have a very high success rate. -R

Saving the Tree.... We hope.

The giant willow tree beside the picnic shelter has been the backdrop to many great adventures at Robert's Roost. Children love sitting on its' large, bench-like branches and often have to be coerced down by parents when it's time for supper.

Over the years, the weight of the rather large limbs have become too much for the tree, and it developed a large crack down the trunk. It was now a safety issue. We did not want to lose this gem of a tree, so we called in the expert. Thank you Kevin for taking the tree down to a more manageable size. The kids can now spend many more years playing on and around their favourite willow tree.

Update

I can't believe that it has been over a month since our last post. Since then we have had a full campground which makes finding the time to post a little challenging. We have had work crews here working the pulp mill shut down, visitors from Europe discovering this wonderful province of ours, a large wedding, May long weekend, and visits from lots of our long term guests.

The beginning of May brought some of the best fishing that many people have ever had on Dragon Lake. Last week was pretty slow due to colder weather and choppy water, but it is starting to pick up a bit again today to to a large hatch.

I have managed to get out in the kayak a total of two times this year (once with my son and once with Keith) and we have taken a tour of the lake a few times in the boat once the office closes. Thank goodness for longer days!

So far we have had a great start to year and I have absolutely no complaints in the weather department. Except of course for the morning of snow a few weeks ago. That I could have lived without! We are looking forward to a great summer full of Dog Agility Camp, Billy Barker Days and hot days relaxing in the sun. We are booking up fast, so if you are thinking of coming to see us for a few days, make sure you make an advance reservation. -R

And the Winner is....

Okay, so maybe we didn't win a Grammy or an Oscar, but for a campground it's pretty cool. Due to our 4W rating in the '2010 Woodall's North American Directory', we received a certificate to acknowledge this achievement.

According to the letter that came with it, only 25% of privately owned parks in the 2010 edition attained this rating, and we just keep getting better.

What more encouragement do you need to come check us out?

Balance

This year will be our third summer operating Robert's Roost. Although we knew it would be a lifestyle change, the first year caught us totally off guard. We were already used to working long hours at our previous job, but had the convenience of working in a location with an onsite restaurant. This helped ensure that our children actually got fed. They were even able to eat healthy food due to all the homemade soups and sandwiches. Unfortunately it also taught them the phrase, "Just put it on Mom and Dad's tab." Being here, we had to actually make the effort to eat. It was a common occurence to be reminded by the kids at nine o'clock at night that we haven't had dinner yet. We became best friends with every delivery driver in town!

We were lucky enough to have great staff to help us through the first few years and we are getting better at not trying to do everything ourselves. We even went out on the boat a few times last year! Although we are starting to find the balance between family and work time we still feel like we don't spend enough time with the kids over the summer holiday. This has led Keith to the conclusion that we need to take them for a mini-vacation sometime before they head back to school.

I said I was getting better at letting go, not that I was cured! There are just too many things that can happen unexpectedly. Electrical outlets needing immediate replacement, water lines bursting, internet shutting down, hot water heater needing a little TLC, boat motors needing tweaking, campers needing to locate an after hours vet at three in the morning, etc... etc... etc.... We can't leave all that for our employees!

Maybe I can talk him into a nice vacation in Hixon....